Patents by Inventor Richard I. Masel

Richard I. Masel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11511259
    Abstract: The present system reduces the cost of carbon capture by reducing the over-temperature needed to strip CO2 from a liquid or fluid solution. The system includes structures that enhance the rate of CO2 bubble nucleation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Hongzhou Yang
  • Patent number: 11339483
    Abstract: A water electrolyzer comprises an electrolyzer stack comprising at least two electrochemical cells. Each cell comprises an anion exchange membrane, a base metal anode electrocatalyst, a base metal cathode electrocatalyst, and a sufficiently long ion conduction path between adjacent cells such that shunt currents are less than 1% of the total current supplied to the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Alchemr, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard I. Masel
  • Patent number: 10975480
    Abstract: An electrocatalytic device for carbon dioxide conversion includes an electrochemical stack comprising a series of cells with a cathode with a Catalytically Active Element metal in the form of supported or unsupported particles or flakes with an average size between 0.6 nm and 100 nm. The reaction products comprise at least one of CO, HCO?, H2CO, (HCOO)?, HCOOH, CH3OH, CH4, C2H4, CH3CH2OH, CH3COO?, CH3COOH, C2H6, (COOH)2, (COO?)2, and CF3COOH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard I. Masel
  • Publication number: 20200376479
    Abstract: An ion conducting membrane comprises an anion exchange layer, a cation exchange layer, and at least one flow channel formed between the anode exchange layer and the cation exchange layer. The anion exchange layer contacts the cation exchange layer. The resulting membrane exhibits low carbon dioxide crossover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventor: Richard I. Masel
  • Patent number: 10774431
    Abstract: An anion-conducting polymeric membrane comprises vinylbenzyl-Rs and a substituted ethene. Rs is a positively charged cyclic amine group. The total weight of the vinylbenzyl-Rs groups is greater than 15% of the total weight of the membrane. In a preferred embodiment, the membrane is a Helper Membrane that increases the faradaic efficiency of an electrochemical cell into which the membrane is incorporated, and also allows product formation at lower voltages than in cells without the Helper Membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Syed Dawar Sajjad, Qingmei Chen
  • Patent number: 10724142
    Abstract: Water electrolyzers employs base metal catalysts and an anion-conducting polymeric membrane with an area specific resistance at 60° C. in 1 M KOH below 0.037 ohm-cm2. Preferably, the membrane comprising a polymer of styrene, vinylbenzyl-Rs and possibly vinylbenzyl-Rx. Rs is a positively charged cyclic amine group. Rx is at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of —Cl, —OH, and a reaction product between an —OH or —Cl and a species other than a simple amine or a cyclic amine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu
  • Patent number: 10647652
    Abstract: A process for the production of organic acids having at least three carbon atoms comprises the steps of forming an amount of carbon monoxide and reacting the amount of carbon monoxide with an amount of an unsaturated hydrocarbon. The reaction is preferably carried out in the presence of a supported palladium catalyst, a strong acid, and a phosphine. In some embodiments, the unsaturated hydrocarbon is one of acetylene and methylacetylene, and the organic acid is one of acrylic acid and methyl acrylic acid. The reacting step is preferably performed with carbon monoxide produced from carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zheng Richard Ni, Qingmei Chen, Brian A. Rosen
  • Publication number: 20200063273
    Abstract: A renewable fuel production system includes a carbon dioxide capture unit for extracting carbon dioxide from atmospheric air, a carbon dioxide electrolyzer for converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, a water electrolyzer for converting water to hydrogen, a synfuels generator for converting carbon monoxide produced by the carbon dioxide electrolyzer and hydrogen produced by the water electrolyzer to a fuel. The fuel produced can be synthetic gasoline and/or synthetic diesel. A renewable fuel production process includes the steps of extracting carbon dioxide from atmospheric air via a carbon dioxide capture unit, converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide via a carbon dioxide electrolyzer, converting water to hydrogen via a water electrolyzer, and converting carbon monoxide produced via the carbon dioxide electrolyzer and H2 produced via the water electrolyzer to a fuel. The system is also capable of simultaneously or alternatively producing a separate industrial chemical.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventor: Richard I. Masel
  • Publication number: 20200030787
    Abstract: An anion-conducting polymeric membrane comprises vinylbenzyl-Rs vinylbenzyl-Rx and styrene-Rt. Rs is a positively charged amine or phosphine group. The total weight of the vinylbenzyl-Rs groups is greater than 15% of the total weight of the membrane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Syed Dawar Sajjad, Qingmei Chen, Zengcai Liu
  • Patent number: 10428432
    Abstract: A catalyst layer for an electrochemical device comprises a catalytically active element and an ion conducting polymer. The ion conducting polymer comprises positively charged cyclic amine groups. The ion conducting polymer comprises at least one of an imidazolium, a pyridinium, a pyrazolium, a pyrrolidinium, a pyrrolium, a pyrimidium, a piperidinium, an indolium, a triazinium, and polymers thereof. The catalytically active element comprises at least one of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Sn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Al, Si, In, Tl, Pb, Bi, Sb, Te, U, Sm, Tb, La, Ce and Nd. In an electrolyzer comprising the present catalyst layer, the feed to the electrolyzer comprises at least one of CO2 and H2O.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu, Robert Kutz, Syed Dawar Sajjad
  • Patent number: 10396329
    Abstract: A battery comprises a separator membrane comprising an ion-conducting polymeric composition comprising a copolymer of Ra-Rs and Rb. Ra and Rb are each selected from the group consisting of linear alkyls, branched alkyls, cyclic alkyls, heteroalkyls, aryls, heteroaryls, alkylaryls, and heteroalkylaryls. Rs is a positively charged amine group or a positively charged phosphene group. The copolymer comprises at least 3% of each Ra and Rb by weight. Ra and Rb are different chemical constituents, and Ra-Rs is not vinylpyridine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu
  • Publication number: 20190226098
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the production of chlorine and caustic employ a hydroxide-stable anion exchange membrane located against the face of the oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC). The anion exchange membrane contains a polymer including one or more of a phosphonium, a primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary ammonium, a guanidinium, or a positively charged cyclic amine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Jerry J. Kaczur
  • Publication number: 20190211463
    Abstract: An electrocatalytic device for carbon dioxide conversion includes an electrochemical stack comprising a series of cells with a cathode with a Catalytically Active Element metal in the form of supported or unsupported particles or flakes with an average size between 0.6 nm and 100 nm. The reaction products comprise at least one of CO, HCO?, H2CO, (HCOO)?, HCOOH, CH3OH, CH4, C2H4, CH3CH2OH, CH3COO?, CH3COOH, C2H6, (COOH)2, (COO?)2, and CF3COOH.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventor: Richard I. Masel
  • Publication number: 20190135726
    Abstract: A process for the production of organic acids having at least three carbon atoms comprises the steps of forming an amount of carbon monoxide and reacting the amount of carbon monoxide with an amount of an unsaturated hydrocarbon. The reaction is preferably carried out in the presence of a supported palladium catalyst, a strong acid, and a phosphine. In some embodiments, the unsaturated hydrocarbon is one of acetylene and methylacetylene, and the organic acid is one of acrylic acid and methyl acrylic acid. The reacting step is preferably performed with carbon monoxide produced from carbon dioxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zheng Richard Ni, Qingmei Chen, Brian A. Rosen
  • Patent number: 10280378
    Abstract: A renewable fuel production system includes a carbon dioxide capture unit for extracting carbon dioxide from atmospheric air, a carbon dioxide electrolyzer for converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, a water electrolyzer for converting water to hydrogen, a synfuels generator for converting carbon monoxide produced by the carbon dioxide electrolyzer and hydrogen produced by the water electrolyzer to a fuel. The fuel produced can be synthetic gasoline and/or synthetic diesel. A renewable fuel production process includes the steps of extracting carbon dioxide from atmospheric air via a carbon dioxide capture unit, converting carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide via a carbon dioxide electrolyzer, converting water to hydrogen via a water electrolyzer, and converting carbon monoxide produced via the carbon dioxide electrolyzer and H2 produced via the water electrolyzer to a fuel. The system is also capable of simultaneously or alternatively producing a separate industrial chemical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Dioxide Materials, Inc
    Inventor: Richard I. Masel
  • Publication number: 20190127863
    Abstract: Water electrolyzers employs base metal catalysts and an anion-conducting polymeric membrane with an area specific resistance at 60° C. in 1 M KOH below 0.037 ohm-cm2. Preferably, the membrane comprising a polymer of styrene, vinylbenzyl-Rs and possibly vinylbenzyl-Rx. Rs is a positively charged cyclic amine group. Rx is at least one constituent selected from the group consisting of —Cl, —OH, and a reaction product between an —OH or —Cl and a species other than a simple amine or a cyclic amine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu
  • Publication number: 20190109310
    Abstract: A battery comprises a separator membrane comprising an ion-conducting polymeric composition comprising a copolymer of Ra-Rs and Rb. Ra and Rb are each selected from the group consisting of linear alkyls, branched alkyls, cyclic alkyls, heteroalkyls, aryls, heteroaryls, alkylaryls, and heteroalkylaryls. Rs is a positively charged amine group or a positively charged phosphene group. The copolymer comprises at least 3% of each Ra and Rb by weight. Ra and Rb are different chemical constituents, and Ra-Rs is not vinylpyridine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu
  • Publication number: 20190085471
    Abstract: Water electrolyzers comprises an anode comprising a quantity of anode catalyst, a cathode comprising a quantity of cathode catalyst with an inlet for introducing a cathode reactant thereto, an anion-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between said anode and said cathode, and a source of electrical energy that applies a voltage between the anode and cathode. At least one of said anode catalyst or said cathode catalyst comprises a metal or metal alloy having a surface area of at least 12 m2/gm. Water electrolyzers preferably employ base metal catalysts and an anion-conducting polymeric membrane with a resistance below 0.3 ohm-cm2 and a base metal catalyst with a surface area of at least 12 m2/mg.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu
  • Publication number: 20190071788
    Abstract: A catalyst layer for an electrochemical device comprises a catalytically active element and an ion conducting polymer. The ion conducting polymer comprises positively charged cyclic amine groups. The ion conducting polymer comprises at least one of an imidazolium, a pyridinium, a pyrazolium, a pyrrolidinium, a pyrrolium, a pyrimidium, a piperidinium, an indolium, a triazinium, and polymers thereof. The catalytically active element comprises at least one of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Sn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Al, Si, In, Tl, Pb, Bi, Sb, Te, U, Sm, Tb, La, Ce and Nd. In an electrolyzer comprising the present catalyst layer, the feed to the electrolyzer comprises at least one of CO2 and H2O.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: Richard I. Masel, Zengcai Liu, Robert Kutz, Syed Dawar Sajjad
  • Publication number: 20190010620
    Abstract: An electrochemical device converts carbon dioxide to a formic acid reaction product. The device includes an anode and a cathode, each comprising a quantity of catalyst. The anode and cathode each have reactant introduced thereto. A cation exchange polymer electrolyte membrane and an anion exchange polymer electrolyte membrane, are interposed between the anode and the cathode, forming a central flow compartment where a carbon dioxide reduction product, such as formic acid, can be recovered. At least a portion of the cathode catalyst is directly exposed to gaseous carbon dioxide during electrolysis. The average current density at the membrane is at least 20 mA/cm2, measured as the area of the cathode gas diffusion layer that is covered by catalyst, and formate ion selectivity is at least 50% at a cell potential difference of 3.0 V.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Jerry J. Kaczur, Hongzhou Yang, Syed Dawar Sajjad, Richard I. Masel